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Mana Traces
A Mana Trace, strictly speaking, is a special type of nerve along which Aerna and Mana are able to travel. This special type of nervous system is referred to as the Magic Matrix and is spread throughout one's body. Mana Traces are what qualifies one to be a Mage, and the amount of traces that an individual possesses dictates the types of magic that they are able to use, in addition to how powerful their magic can be. The average Mage possesses around twenty to twenty-five mana traces. Those who possess less than twenty struggle to use magic and therefore, are unable to cast most types of advanced magic. Mechanics The Mana Traces are located within the genetics of each individual that happens to possess them and, as such, lack any sort of physical form. However, if they were to have a physical form, they would look almost identical to circuits on a circuit board and do, in actual fact, work in a similar way to them. The nature and composition of one's traces are fixed and do not change and once damaged, cannot be repaired or replaced. It is also interesting to note that the amount of traces that one has cannot be altered by natural means, but can be altered by artificial means or as a result of a temporary magical effect. While it is believed that brain activity is required for the traces to function, it is possible for an individual's traces to remain active even after their brain has ceased to function. In these very rare circumstances, destruction of the brain itself is necessary to stop the activity of the traces. Mana Traces have two states; open (on) or closed (off). When open, traces take in mana from the surrounding atmosphere and also gradually gather aer from the user's body. In some cases, Mana and Aer will be combined within the traces to form Aerna. However, when closed, the traces will immediately cease to take in any form of energy, whether that be Mana or Aer, and will stop combining the two forms of magical energy. Also, the circuits will begin to rapidly ventilate Mana, Aer and Aerna from the body, while diluting Erg into a harmless residue which can then be evaporated. Most mages either have all of their traces active or inactive, however, there are some more experienced mages that can choose to have specific traces remain active, while deactivating others. A common misconception within the world of mages is the belief that it is the quantity of traces that one's lineage possesses that is important. In actual fact, the quality and intricacy of a family's traces are just as important and, in some cases, is can be far more beneficial than having a higher quantity of traces. Even so, most mages are highly fixated on ensuring that their descendants are more likely to possess a higher number of traces than the descendants of other mages. To this end, many have attempted to increase the number of traces that one possesses via artificial methods such as binding and enchanting but, for the most part, such methods been unsuccessful. This is due to the unpredictable nature of such methods, as well as the fact that Mana Traces have the tendency to be rendered into an unstable state when altered. In certain cases, particularly when doing so for the first few times, the opening of Magic Traces is impossible without using what is known as a 'trigger'. A trigger can either be a certain condition that must be met, for example, witnessing an emotional event or it can be a visualisation of something which thereby acts as a trigger command that opens the traces. Such triggers can range from imagining that someone is firing a gun to imagining stabbing yourself. The method of triggering differs from person to person. While using a trigger is commonly only required for the first few instances of an individual opening his or her Mana Traces, in certain cases it can be a permanent necessity. That being said, the reason for why some individuals always require the use of a trigger is not known. Despite the fact that there are many mages in the world, Mana Traces are, ultimately, something that is rather unnatural for the human body. Most mages feel side-affects such as nausea and pain when first activating their Mana Traces. Also, it is important to make note of the fact that as Mana or Aerna is expelled from the traces as magic, a poisonous residue known as Erg is deposited within the traces. If too much of this residue is present within the Mana Traces for a prolonged period of time, they will become impaired or may even cease to function. Also, when high amounts of Erg are present within the the traces at any given time, a great amount of strain will be placed on the user's body and the user's organs may even start to break down as a result. It is not uncommon for a mage to succumb to exhaustion when high amounts of Erg are present. Number of Mana Traces By Characters This section requires more information.